Crowley purring ahead of ‘unbelievable’ Battaash’s Nunthorpe defence
Jim Crowley, who had a sensational six successes at Royal Ascot and captured the jewel in Glorious Goodwood’s crown, cannot wait for another of Flat racing’s showpiece fixtures – and little wonder as he will be on the blistering Battaash, the red-hot favourite for Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Trained by Charlie Hills, Battaash helped light up last year’s Ebor meeting by winning the Nunthorpe in devastating style and is best-priced at 1-2 for a second triumph.
Former jump jockey Crowley, in his fourth campaign working for the star sprinter’s owner Hamdan Al Maktoum and seven away from 2,000 winners in both codes in Britain, is fully aware why those odds exist about his partner, who followed King’s Stand glory by winning Goodwood’s King George Stakes for the fourth time.
